This invention is generally related to lamps and, more specifically, to decorative lamps that utilize an oil-fed wick or a candle as an illumination source.
There are a wide variety of such decorative lamps on the market that utilize oil-fed wicks or candles as sources of illumination. This invention is particularly adapted to such decorative lamps in which the illumination source is disposed within and is supported by a transparent chimney. Examples of such lamps are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,473,014 and U.S. Pat. Nos. Des. 234,217; 234,367; and 249,180. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,473,014 three legs extend upwardly from a base to support a candle in the center of a chimney. In U.S. Pat. No. De. 234,217, a candle holder is positioned in the center of a chimney by means of a curved arm that is formed integrally with the chimney. U.S. Pat. Nos. De. 234,367 and 249,180 depict similar structures in which chimneys support an oil resevoir and wick holder through an integral support structure.
Thus, in each of these lamps the illumination source, be it a candle or an oil wick, must be positioned within the chimney when it is lit. This requires a person to light a match and extend the match downwardly into the chimney, thereby placing the match in a position which accelerates the advance of the flame up the match toward the fingers. Moreover, oil lamps tend to smoke if the wick height is not properly adjusted, and these structures prevent easy adjustment of the wick. Specifically, if the wick is not burning properly the flame must be extinguished. Then the wick is adjusted and the wick is again lit. Furthermore, the integral structure of these devices complicates the cleaning of the chimney and the supports. Fuel is also normally added through the support, which is formed as a tube, and requires some separate filling funnel and tube in order to enable the transfer of fuel into the reservoir.